Welcome to my review of Under the Rainbow By Celia Laskey. I didn’t quite know what to expect from this book, the publishers sent me a copy to review as I have enjoyed similar books in the past, so I thought I would give it a try. I’m not sure I would have picked it otherwise but I do love the cover! It has a really interesting premise and is told in a slightly unusual way which made it a different read to normal.
Welcome to Big Burr, population 10,024.
Big Burr, Kansas is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone – or so they think. But after being labeled “the most homophobic town in America”, a group of queer activists are moving in, and everything is about to change.
Linda welcomes the newcomers. The less they know about the death of her son, the better. Avery is furious at being uprooted from her life in LA. She dreads her classmates discovering that her mom is the head of the queer task force. And Gabe, a lifelong Big Burr resident, is no longer sure about the life he’s built with his wife.
While new friendships are formed, elsewhere tensions reach boiling point. And every resident, old and new, must reconsider the true meaning of community.
Celia currently attends the University of New Mexico’s creative writing MFA program for fiction, and in summer 2016 she attended the Tin House Summer Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Albuquerque with her wife. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Minnesota Review, Necessary Fiction, and other magazines. Come as a Guest is part of a novel in progress.
After the publisher offered me a review copy, I chose Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey. The blurb sounded good and is like other books I have read previously.
Under the Rainbow is a slightly odd read. A small Kansas town called Big Burr has been voted the most homophobic town in the US. So the queer activist group ‘Acceptance Across America’ (AAA) moved in and lived in Big Burr to help educate the community and bring more acceptance.
Each chapter is told by a different character and their point of view, which is exciting but feels a little disjointed in places. It’s like a collection of short stories. This has an interesting premise, and the activist group are amazing, but the book doesn’t flow as well as it could. You need to really think a lot to keep up with whom the chapter is focusing on,
There are a lot of characters and perspectives in this. However, no character is wholly developed due to the alternate chapters, which vary between the activists and the residents.
The characters are somewhat cliched, but I enjoyed the teens’ perspectives the most. I liked reading about the different perspectives and, in some cases, the reasons for their views. I also appreciated that some managed to change or be more accepting despite social pressures not to.
The conclusion is lovely. A lot of the loose ends are neatly tied up, and it provides a happily ever after. It was nice to visit ten years later and see how things had changed over the longer term.
Laskey has captured the pressures of living in a small town well and the horror of homophobia. However, I liked how some people changed and had more honest opinions. Interestingly the older woman, who was initially one of the most sceptical, became more open and willing to learn.
Many thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.
| Title | Under The Rainbow |
| Author | Celia Laskey |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | eARC |
| Page Count | 287 Pages |
| Genre | LGBTQ |
| Publisher | Washington Square Press, UK Edition |
| Release Date | 2nd April 2020 |
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